Rankings & Recognitions

Since NIU was chartered in 1895, it has been the recipient of numerous prestigious national rankings and recognitions, maintaining academic achievements across the university. These are proud honors for NIU because they reveal some of the things we value most. For example, NIU’s ranking in the top 150 universities by Washington Monthly for research and service demonstrates our commitment to providing students with cutting-edge curriculum while also inspiring them to give back to their communities. Ranked in the top third of Colleges Worth Your Investment, the university remains dedicated to its mission of making a college degree attainable for everyone.

To view rankings and recognitions awarded to individual colleges, follow the links to the left.

U.S. News & World Report

Brookings Institute

Median Mid-Career Salary: NIU ranks in the top 10 in Chicago

Occupational Earnings Power:NIU ranks in the top 10 in Chicago

Payscale.com

College Education ROI Rankings: NIU ranks in the top third of Colleges Worth Your Investment and is among the top ten colleges in Illinois for both in-state and out-of-state tuition. This ranking measures "what you pay to attend versus what you get back in lifetime earnings."

Social Mobility Index: NIU is ranked 30th by CollegeNet and Payscale for social mobility, or the extent that a college or university "educates more economically disadvantaged people at a lower tuition so that they graduate into good paying jobs."

Military Advanced Education

Military Friendly

Military Friendly School: NIU is recognized for exhibiting leading practices in recruiting and supporting post-military students.

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Innovation and Economic Prosperity University: NIU is designated as one of 16 inaugural institutions nationwide for working with public and private sector partners to support economic development through innovation and entrepreneurship; technology transfer; and talent, workforce, and community development.

NIU Earns Academic Prestige

Accreditations

Nationally Accredited University: NIU receives institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Accreditation by the HLC is one way NIU publicly demonstrates its commitment to quality and willingness to be held externally accountable to those the university serves.

Classifications

Research Universities: NIU is classified as a Research University (high research activity) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This designation is reserved for universities that award at least 20 research degrees during the year.

Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships: NIU has an elective classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships for its collaboration with its larger communities (local, regional/state, national and global).